Investing in Aboriginal peoples and communities can pay big dividends for Canadian business -- OTTAWA, Dec. 17, 2013

Investing in Aboriginal peoples and communities can pay big dividends for Canadian business

OTTAWA, Dec. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - In a report issued today the Canadian Chamber of Commerce sheds light on a number of very
successful initiatives currently underway to improve the participation
of Aboriginal peoples in Canada's workforce.

"Canadian businesses recognize that Canada's Aboriginal peoples are a
critical part of our future competitiveness," said Perrin Beatty,
President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. "We want the
success stories presented today to become the norm- not the exception
anymore," added Beatty.

In 2013, members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce identified the
participation of the Aboriginal peoples in our workforce as a priority
area when addressing the skills gap. The report highlights how Canadian
businesses and post secondary institutions committed to the following
points have created win-win situations in communities across the
country:

Keeping Aboriginal children in school;

Ensuring a successful transition for Aboriginal students from secondary
to post-secondary education and/or training;

Ensuring education and training programs strive for the long term; and,

Focussing on results rather than paperwork.

Canada—its governments, peoples and businesses—has the means to leave
behind the failures and disappointments related to the participation of
Aboriginal peoples in its society and economy.

In this paper, we demonstrate that where need and will exist, success
can be achieved efficiently with benefits for all concerned. Syncrude
Canada, Rio Tinto, Suncor Energy are just a few examples of companies
who work successfully with Aboriginal peoples and invest with them in
the communities in which they operate. "Our hope is that these examples
will be seen as practical steps the federal government and businesses
can undertake in order to lead to more successes and fewer
frustrations," concluded Beatty.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between
business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and
decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families
across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and
boards of trade, representing some 200, 000 businesses of all sizes in
all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are
available at Chamber.ca or follow us on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom.